Age of Pirates:
Treasure Fleet
Captain a ship in the Caribbean between 1628 and 1718. Take the wheel and sail by hand, with the wind for you or against you. Every sail on the horizon is a choice: chase her, fight her, run, or let her pass.
$2.99 for iPhone and iPad, iOS 18 or later.
Pay once. No ads, no in-app purchases.
A ship, a chart, and the whole Caribbean
Simple controls, and depth from the choices you make.
Sail by hand.
Turn the ship's wheel to steer. The wind shifts hour by hour around the easterly trades: running before it is fast, beating into it slow. From the Gulf of Mexico to the Bermudas, it's all open water.
Every sail is a decision.
Ships stay hidden until they close. Then you see her name, her flag, her guns and her hands, and whether a court would call her lawful prize. Attack, run for it, or let her pass.
Broadsides, then cutlasses.
Bring her abeam and fire, then wait for the guns to reload. Board her and you cross swords with her captain: read the move, then Cut High, Cut Low or Parry.
A fleet of eleven.
Start in the smallest ship your nation builds. Keep the prizes you take, or buy from the shipwright, until up to eleven ships sail together, sharing guns, hands and holds.
Every nation remembers.
England, Spain, France, the Dutch and the Brethren of the Coast each keep a standing with you. Sail under a letter of marque and your prizes are lawful. Fire on a friendly flag and that's piracy: its harbours close to you.
The hands want their share.
Half of all plunder belongs to the crew. Pay them well and they're merry; keep them at sea too long, unpaid and crowded, and someone passes you the Black Spot.
At sea, alongside, and ashore
Thirty ships, five flags
Five kinds sail under any flag, and every nation has five of its own you'll never see under another. Each one is drawn for the game, and each has her own guns, crew, speed and plunder.
Small, fore-and-aft
Small, brigantine rig
Middling, square-rigged
Large, square-rigged
Large, square-rigged
Small, brigantine rig
Small, brigantine rig
Middling, square-rigged
Middling, square-rigged
Large, square-rigged
Small, brigantine rig
Small, fore-and-aft
Middling, square-rigged
Middling, square-rigged
Large, square-rigged
Small, square-rigged
Small, fore-and-aft
Small, brigantine rig
Small, square-rigged
Middling, square-rigged
Small, fore-and-aft
Small, fore-and-aft
Small, brigantine rig
Middling, square-rigged
Middling, square-rigged
Small, fore-and-aft
Small, fore-and-aft
Small, fore-and-aft
Middling, brigantine rig
Large, square-rigged
A man-of-war is rare and far stronger than you: the right answer is usually to run. A Spanish galleon is the great treasure prize.
Choose the year you sail in
Each era sets which harbours are open and who holds them, who is at war, and who will license you against whom. History moves on around you while you sail.
The Silver Fleet
Before Jamaica was English. The Dutch and French license you against Spain, and once a year a great galleon carries the silver of the Main to Havana.
The Buccaneers of Jamaica
Jamaica is newly English, and Port Royal licenses any captain who will keep the Spaniard busy.
After Panama
Morgan has sacked Panama, but peace with Spain is coming. Prizes that were lawful yesterday make you a pirate today.
King William's War
England, Spain and the Dutch stand together against France. Port Royal is the richest town in the Indies, for now.
The Republic of Pirates
The wars are over and Nassau belongs to the pirates. Nobody grants commissions, the King's ships are coming, and a pardon is on offer.
Before you ask
What is Age of Pirates?
A sailing game for iPhone and iPad. You're a ship's captain in the Caribbean between 1628 and 1718. Sail a real-time chart by hand, fight and board the ships you meet, trade in dozens of harbours, and build a fleet of up to eleven ships.
How much does it cost?
$2.99, once. There are no ads and no in-app purchases, and it plays on both your iPhone and your iPad.
What do I need to play it?
An iPhone or iPad on iOS 18 or later. It plays in portrait on iPhone, and any way up on iPad.
Can I lose?
You can lose ships, but there's no game over. Lose your last one and the captain comes ashore at home and starts again in a small ship, with the log, the gold and the reputation carried on.
Do I play a pirate?
Only if you choose to. Sail for England, Spain, France or the Dutch with a letter of marque, and the ships you take are lawful prize. Or fly one of nine pirate flags with the Brethren of the Coast. You're always a captain of your own; famous pirates and governors are people you meet.
Is it online?
No. It's a single-player game with no account. Your voyages are saved on your device, up to eight at once.
When can I play it?
It's being built now, and it's coming to the App Store. Check back here for the date.
How to play: the Captain's guide. Something we didn't cover? Send a letter
Ahoy, I'm Chris Ainsworth
Seeking adventure and salty old pirates? Aye, you've come to the proper place. I'm making the pirate game I've always wanted to play: a real sea with real wind, ships that are each worth a decision, and a log that tells the story of your voyage when you're done.
Every coastline on the chart is real and history moves around you, from Piet Heyn's silver fleet to Woodes Rogers at Nassau.
I also make Crazy Wall, a bookmark manager that looks like a bulletin board.
P. S. Avast, matey! Please send screenshots of your biggest prizes to chris@comicsansrelief.com. I'd love to hear from you.
A twelve-gun ketch, sixty hands, 1,200 pieces of eight, and the whole Caribbean.